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Posts: 230

Feb 27 09 8:32 AM

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The other day I was watching a few you tube videos on vintage trailers and he was saying that the front window should have some type of deflector to protect
the front window from breaking due to road debris.

After reviewing many of vintage travel trailer photos I could not find many with this type of window guard

I have yet to take my 55 Crown out yet with the exception of the 3 hours trip home after buying it, how much of a problem is road debris on the front window
and how many of you use something to cover the front window while traveling?

I have heard it can be a problem with rocks getting kicked up by the tow vehicle but my suburban's rear axle is quite a distance up under my suburban so if
it tossed a rock it would not hit the window but would impact much lower on the metal.

I just built a rock guard last night for my 66 Mainliner. If your front Jalousie windows don't seal properly and you get stuck in the rain (or snow) you
can get quite a bit of water inside the frame and inside the trailer. I waswatching the water pool dance around in the center corners while I drove (I have a
split window). that ended up all over my new Sofa foam, grrr.

I also noticed a lot of little pit chips on the front windows when I was cleaning them Wednesday night... You can catch sand, rocks, birds you name it off the
windshield of the tow vehicle as well, it's not just about the rear tires/axle.

I would build or add one if you have Jalouise windows to protect them if I were you. A solid window that is sealed properly? 50/50 on whether you really need
it or not. One rock will sure tell you that quickly!!

Also, I have seen on other trailers, a bubble of sorts that would work too, this might help break up the blunt angle of the trailer and improve gas milege as
well? Think Top of a Semi Truck, or a big roof vent on the front. :)

My thought on the older trailers is a soft padded cover, maybe snapped in place like a boat cover. My 56 Aljo has some sort of weird aluminum panel that goes
over the front window, I found it under the bed. Since it didn't even have the front window installed, I wasn't too worried on the way home. Yes, it
was raining and got wet...

The windows seem smaller on most the 50s trailers. Maybe they didn't get rocks so easily. I would think a shield like the 60s had would take away from the
"vintage" of the older ones. The first thing that happened to my 61 Terry on the way to a new home in Arizona was a cracked window, so protection is
important. VK

My Loliner has a rock guard on the front and back window,its wierd,maybe someone decided to add it to the trailer to keep the sun out. I haven't seen any
other trailers with one on the back window. It is kind of nice to have them both to block the sun from coming into the trailer to keep it cooler when it gets
hot out.

Thanks for the feed back, the only problem I really see is keeping it original, granted I have not seen many Crowns, maybe only 3 photos and none had one, I am
concerned on what it would take to install a soft padding, the snaps would look out of place,and that to would have to be custom made.

I guess anything I do would take away from the original look, but hell if I do and a broken window is possible if I don't.

This is my first "canned ham" trailer, when did the window deflector first start to be installed on this type trailer. How may of you that have a
50's era trailer has went ahead and installed one, and how many of you have ended up with a broken window due to road debris?

As I've mentioned on other threads recently, I've completely rebuilt the front window assembly on our '63 Shasta 16 SCS, which had suffered any
number of indignities over the years, most of which were caused by bits of flotsam and jetsam getting hurled at it while under tow. It was a lot of work. And
since I'm a bit of a nut about maintaining the originial apperance of this project (OK, I'm obsessed), I really had esthetic issues with rock guards on
pre mid-60s trailers. But after all of the time & effort that I've put into this trailer, and to the windows in particular, you can bet it'll have
a rock guard installed before it leaves my driveway! As others & I have been discussing, parts for the jalousie type windows are getting very hard to find,
and I just can't stand the thought of them getting whacked with something going down the road. Mike also makes a good point about them letting in water
while driving in the rain & snow, and I agree that it's inevitable no matter how tightly they're closed. I'm only doing this resto once!

I've found a fairly good used aluminum / fiberglass one that is larger than I need, but will serve as a good starting point for building one to suit.
I'll design the hinges to mount over, and pick up the screw holes for, the rain drip cap eyebrow thing. A previous owner had installed a guard at one time,
and crudely cut 3 big sections out of the drip cap to make room for hinges, so if anyone has an 80" cap that they don't need, let me know. Of course
it's an oddball length and I've been unable to find a new one.

And guards do have alot going for them in addition to the protection that they provide to the window.
1.) They make great awnings when open.
2.) They're the perfect place to hang your Tiki lights.
3.) If the front of your trailer is pointed in the right direction when parked, it looks to be a good place to mount a solar panel, if you use one.

Warren mentioned that he thought that anything that hits his trailer will be below the window, and mine has a lot of 'patina' in that area as well.
I'm planning on applying a coat of that rough textured rockguard stuff (like you see on new cars on the front valence, rocker panels and behind the wheel
wells) to the lower front skin before I paint it. It does a pretty good job at protecting the surface from getting too beat up by sand & gravel , etc.

And Mike, I really dig the artwork that you did on your rock guard.
See, you knew all of those teachers were wrong when they said you were wasting your time in study hall by doodling in your chemistry book! You were just
practicin' man! Way cool....,

You know, considering that a couple of people are finding it worth their while to make really nice, and affordable awnings to suit our older trailers, (Marti
Domyancic here in N. Calif. for example) maybe somebody will realize that there's also a market for vintage appropriate rock guards / window covers and
start a new business. Hmmmmmmmm.........
Mark

External Drip Caps are available thru NTP distribution in Oregon. The closest lengths I found were 78", 84" and 87". Unfortunately, only dealers
are able to purchase thru NTP. I have done several searches online and have not found them anywhere else.

I recently applied for an account at NTP and see where it goes (and their prices) In the past, I've had access to the parts at fairly reasonable rates but
don't know what will happen now. I'll keep you all up to date. VK

I thought of an idea for the window protector , use heavy gauge upholstery vinyl and use an awning rail , then attach it to the top of the window frame ,
first removing the screws and making new holes in the awning rail to match up with the holes on the frame , you may need to use longer screws. As for
securing the bottom , i haven't yet figured that out . When parked just lift up the bottom and install two aluminum tent poles cut to size and put the
bottom end in a bracket of some kind and there you have it , an awning that also doubles as a window protector .

Thanks VK. I followed that link for NTP a while back when you mentioned it, and that's when I realized that 80" caps were oddities. I picked up a
couple slightly shorter ones at RV Dr. George's and have got an idea as to how to discreetly splice them together in the middle. Can't possibly look
any worse than what was on it when I bought it. And, it'll be hidden for the most part by the rock guard. But I'm a ways away from being at that point
and will keep my eyes open for the right one. I've learned to be patient and that virtually anything will eventually turn up. Never thought I'd find an
original black water tank, and then one day, poof! there it was! Now an original aqua-sparkle Formica folding dinette table is at the top of my Holy Grail
list............
Mark

Mark, the front shields have a sort of drip cap built in-it isn't rounded but works the same. Since it is above the window and installed with putty, you
may not need the drip cap....I'll see if I can find a close up photo. VK

So another idea for those that want to keep it original as possible... if you don't want a guard over the front window but want protection, you can also
look into Stone Guard from 3M. It's the clear (or tinted) film dealers put on headlights and as invisable bras on cars. I had that on my GTI, you
couldn't tell it was there at all, in the 3 years I had the car there was no discoloration or issures. Goes on Silimar to window tint film. That could
protect the Jalousie windows from sand blasts, small rock and such. Won't help with water or rocks say larger than a pea, but will give a bit of extra
protection, and the glass on the jalousie windows will have a seal in between them too. I may use the tinted version to tint my windows now that I'm
thinking of it.

But this is the rock guard I built, the sheet of smoked Polycarbonate came in a sheet about 3 feet by 8 feet for about $21 at McLendon's Hardware (Local HD
and Lowe's Competitor) You can cut it with anything really

I used 1.5" x 1.5" aluminum L channel, notched a 1.5" x 1.5" square out of one side and bent the leftover tab down to create a boxed end.
did that for all 4 corners, but only built the bottom, and sides. Pop rivited that together.

I notched the sides where it would meet the top (Original rock guard pieces) and riveted the new sides to the existing top the same way.

These are still a bit of work in process, as I need to get cotter pins to hold it up properly, but I salvaged the props off another awning I had, that was too
small for my 80" front windows. These got screwed into the front, and lock it down durring travel with two spring pins at the bottom.

(Sorry it's blurry, I'll take a new one tonight) I also used the rubber stopper, center mounted, rivited in place.

cut a piece of Aluminum and riveted to the center, probably didn't NEED to do this, but it was more for style than anything else.

another view

Here is closed

Notice, I extended the guard another 1.5" below the bottom of the window, I guess I could have gone further - it wouldn't have hurt anything, but good
news, I got caught in a heavy rain storm on the 120 mile trip home - the whole time... no water inside! It works!

Mike & Kai,
Both rockguards are nearly identical to the plans that I've got rattling around in my head for mine, and are very nicely executed.....God is in the
details, and all that.........

Mike, does that polycarbonate have the same cross sectional profile as the fiberglass panel in Kai's, or is it more of a squared-off ribded thing? The
panels in the one that I was going to use as a starting point for mine are the same as his, but are all beat to heck and I hadn't had any luck finding
anything with that "faux louvered" look. I can spend a few days fixing what I've got, but if you've got a source for new stuff that looks
right I may go that route. I'm probably 2 or 3 months from being at that point on our Shasta, but it never hurts to start planning.

Or, I could just send my busted up stuff to Kai, and have him get 'em as pretty as his! Really nice glass work!
Can you put Judy in leather for mine? ;)
Mark

LOL
Mark, do you have the origional aluminum frame? The ribbing in that would be nearly impossible to duplicate as it is an extrusion. If you have the frame rails,
you can fix/make the other parts (corner joints, hinges etc.)
I have seen similar faux louvered panels in the vinyl siding industries, but I don't know if they come that small.
peace,
kai

Kai,
I've got the remains of the (non-original) guard that came with our trailer, and a so-so one that I picked up at RV Dr. George's, and I think that
between the 2, I've got enough usable frame extrusion, hinges, arms, etc to make one good one. It will probably have a louvered panel on each side, and a
blank panel in the center. (Pallet for graphics? Hmmmmm...underground comix artist Robert Armstrong is a neighbor of mine, maybe I'll have him do
something..............hmmmmm.....Google him, neat guy. Or maybe when R. Crumb comes back to town....No, I'd probably get busted for his work! )

I'm pretty sure that I can salvage the louvered panels that I've got, and I'll burn that bridge when I get to it in a few weeks. Unless of course,
I find a new piece or take another route. I do a lot of fabricating at work, (winery mechanic) so I'm pretty comfortable with building something like the
frame. Do too much of it sometimes......But you guys have thrown down the gauntlet now............I'll just have to see if I can make it over that high
bar!

My reference to ribbed profile in my question to Mike was about that plastic panel that he used for his. I couldn't really tell from the pics if it was
squared-off (crenellated?) or was more like yours. Has a very high zoot factor, whatever it is.
Mark